Hay Shed Hill vineyard spotlight
The official Hay Shed Hill Wines channel films the Willyabrup vineyard, including the steep south-facing slopes where Hay Shed Hill's best Chardonnay sits, the same estate behind this 2022 Pitchfork Chardonnay.
The market on this bottle
Wine-Searcher tracks this 2022 Hay Shed Hill Pitchfork Chardonnay, Margaret River across the open market. Their published U.S. low is $3.96 and the average is $3.96. Our slash is $9.00.
2022 Hay Shed Hill Pitchfork Chardonnay, Margaret River
Michael Kerrigan's unwooded Margaret River Chardonnay, tropical fruit and zippy acid, a 2022 you can open at ten dollars.
The 2022 Pitchfork is 100 percent Chardonnay fermented in stainless steel: tropical fruit, pear, citrus, and a bright, zippy close, now $9.
Unwooded Margaret River Chardonnay, not a leftover butter bomb
Pitchfork Chardonnay is Hay Shed Hill's stainless-steel white from Willyabrup. Michael Kerrigan ferments it in tank at low temperature, then bottles it young so tropical fruit and citrus stay in front of oak. 12.5% alcohol. Pale straw with green hues. The house note is a bright, clean tropical bouquet, then a rich fruit palate held by zippy acidity. 2022 was an extraordinary, low-yield Chardonnay year on this dry-grown site after a four-day heat spike. This is the bottle that puts Margaret River Chardonnay on a fish night at ten dollars.
The vineyard
Willyabrup, five kilometres from the Indian Ocean. South-facing slopes keep Hay Shed Hill Chardonnay cool. Dry-grown fruit.
The wine
100% Chardonnay. Stainless ferment, no oak, bottled young. 12.5% ABV. Tropical fruit, zippy acid.
The vintage
2022 cut Chardonnay yields hard after four days above 40 C. Quality held. The whites stayed fresh and crisply varietal.
The drinker
Tropical fruit and citrus first. Serve 46 to 50 F. No decant. Roast chicken or salmon Cobb.
Tropical fruit and pear, then citrus and a clean snap
Stainless steel lets Chardonnay fruit show without oak or lees cream: a bright tropical bouquet, then a rich, flavoursome palate held by clean zippy acidity. When the fruit is this good, unwooded Chardonnay takes on depth instead of tasting thin. Drink now, cold.
One of the hottest springs on record, including four consecutive days above 40 C over Christmas, hit Chardonnay at a critical moment. Yields at this dry-grown site fell below 30 percent of expectation. What remained was high-quality, low-yield fruit. Pitchfork keeps that fruit in steel.
Tropical fruit, pear, honeydew, citrus, lime.
Medium, 12.5% ABV, unwooded, zippy acidity, bottled young.
Clean, bright, dry. Serve 46 to 50 F. No decant.
Steel for tropical fruit, no oak costume
Kerrigan's Pitchfork Chardonnay is unwooded on purpose. A low-temperature, protective ferment in stainless steel preserves finer fruit characters. No barrel. No lees cream speech. The point is Margaret River Chardonnay you can chill and pour with fish, not a butter bomb.
12.5% alcohol. Screw cap on many Pitchfork bottlings. Drink now.
Serve 46 to 50 F. Roast chicken, salmon, or a squeeze of lemon on fish.
The same Willyabrup hill, in a steel white
Hay Shed Hill's Chardonnay reputation sits on steep south-facing slopes. Pitchfork is how that fruit drinks without a barrel invoice.
Michael Kerrigan bought the estate in 2006 to farm the 1973 vines and the cooler Chardonnay aspects himself.
Block 6 is the serious south-facing Chardonnay. Pitchfork is the tank wine from the same house and climate.
The 2022 is that door in a tiny-yield year: tropical fruit, citrus, ten dollars.
Chicken, salmon, and a cold glass
Unwooded Chardonnay wants lemon, herbs, and a little richness. Roast chicken or a salmon Cobb. Keep the bottle cold.
Two plates. One lemon-thyme roast chicken. One summer salmon Cobb. Both can take tropical fruit and zippy acid.
Serve 46 to 50 F. No decant. A cold glass keeps citrus and tropical fruit in front.
Roast Chicken with Lemon and Thyme
Herb-roasted chicken gives the wine enough richness while lemon and thyme stay in the same key.
Why it works: Lemon and thyme echo citrus. High natural acidity refreshes after each rich bite.
View Recipe for Roast Chicken with Lemon and Thyme (opens in a new tab)
Summer Salmon Cobb Salad
Salmon, avocado, and a sharp dressing. Pitchfork Chardonnay's weeknight landing.
Why it works: Acidity cuts avocado and salmon fat. Tropical fruit and citrus keep the greens lifted.
View Recipe for summer salmon Cobb salad (opens in a new tab)Put this Pitchfork Chardonnay in the cart
Michael Kerrigan, unwooded Willyabrup Chardonnay, tropical fruit and zip. Ten dollars.
Put it in the cart. This is the Margaret River white for a fish night that wants fruit, not a heavy oak white.
